Big Trouble in Little Greffen
Sarod has come to Greffen having just acquired an artifact from a sunken temple off the shores of Ingala. The artifact is a small stone statue, dating back hundreds if not thousands of years, and despite its aged and location inside an ancient ship wreck, is in extremely good condition. The statuette itself is that of a small child swaddled in a blanket, made of a glistening white stone with small sapphire eyes. Unbeknownst to Sarod, this is a totem to Dunbull, the Child. Unluckily for Sarod, a gang of thieves by the name of The Sickle has heard of the expedition by means of being tipped off by Sarod's assistant, Danib. For his trouble, Danib will receive a sizable cut of the sale, though of course Sarod knows none of this. Having docked in Greffen about an hour before, Sarod needs to bring the Totem to the Society Archaois (AR-HAY-OS), where it will be stored safely for transport to Kursk for study and display at the Museum Archaois. Unfortunately, Sarod notices the totem is missing, and immediately draws the link to Danib, deducing he stole it. He now begins the search for Danib in the only logical place: where he met him in The Sleepy Dog inn. Let Sleepy Dogs Lie The patrons of the Sleepy Dog are mostly hapless random people, but Quilla thinks that one of her boys named Horus might have done a session or two with him. True to form Horus, is moderately familiar with Danib, and knows he frequents the Roaming Waystone, a casino on the eastern side of town. Alternately, asking around town an investigation check DC15 will turn up someone who knows about Danib's gambling. Rivals for the Totem On the way to the casino, passing though an alley, the party is stopped by a muscular looking man with a red bandanna covering his lower face. A bard hidden on a rooftop will attempt to Hold Person Sarod, such that the other thieves can pilfer the Totem from them. These people are members of the Sickle, one of the Thief gangs here in Greffen, and their boss Sarosh has his eye on acquiring the totem. Sickle Thieves Encounter * Bandit Captain * Giff * Bard (on roof) The Roaming Waystone From the outside the casino is rather plain, it is nearly indistinguishable for almost any other building on the street. The only thing denoted it is a sign above the door of a winding road leading to a standing Waystone. Entering, the room inside is fairly cramped, setup like a small tavern, except 2 of the tables are setup for gambling only (Avandra's Favor and Gambit of Ord). There is one table, occupied by a rugged looking Goliath (Umbolt) who appears to be watching the other two tables closely. There is a small counter for drink service, selling only cheap ale. There is also a doorway to the back, with beads covering the doorway. Watching the casino from the exterior for a prolonged period will reveal a mild amount of traffic entering and leaving. Most of the patrons appear to be upper scale merchants. However, because of this, when entering the casino it is readily noticeable that none of these people are present, nor could this room hold them. Danib is at the Gambit of Ord table, miserable at having lost the Totem at trying to turn his luck around. When pressed, Danib will reveal that he lost the Totem to a well-to-do Tiefling man by the name of Constance Civility, who is still inside the Ossurian Back Room, readying for the daily high stakes Liar's Dice game. The bead covered doorway leads a small hallway and a plain wooden door, through which is the Ossurian Back Room. Anyone attempting to get through to the back room must get through Umbolt, who demands a 2000gp chip buyin to enter. Ossurian Back Room This room is quite a bit larger, a couple hundred feet wide. On a platform 5 feet tall in the centre made of grey stone with flowing water features. On the platform currently a 5 piece band of similarly dressed bards is playing while a red haired human sings an upbeat song. There are many tables, most of which are dedicated to higher buying (10x the normal buyin) Common games, though 2 tables have Death Gamble potions laid out. In the back left corner is a slightly raised platform of finely crafted wood, with a single staircase leading up to it. On this platform is the high stakes Liar's Dice game. Buyin is 500gp a round. A well stocked bar is against the back right wall, 3 bartenders plying their trade. To the left from the entrance door is a counter with bars over top, a teller's window to exchange chips for whatever currency the patron requires. To the back of the room is a rough stone archway, covered in a deep green velvet, made much more noticeable for the crudeness of their craft in comparison to the lavishness of the rest of the room. The archway is flanked by 2 bouncers wearing a velvet green doublet. These bouncers will stop all from entering this archway unless they possess a Deck of Many Things, which they must hand over for inspection prior to entry. This door leads to the Prime Material Back Room. Constance is enjoying himself at a table near the bar, chatting up a female half elf with blond hair (Julin). Constance is willing to put the Totem on the line at the big Liar's Dice game, but to make the pot fair, the House is going to require an item of equal worth from the party, winner of the round takes all. The Dice Game A dapper looking half-elf man, wearing the velvet green doublet uniform of the casino, oversees the game, and explains the rules. In addition to Constance and whomever the party decides to put in, a half-orc gentlemen by the name of Rufang is taking part, having added a Gem of Seeing to the pot, as the extra action has excited him. The rules are simple, play Liar's Dice until one player is left standing. If 4 or more player are playing, the person who comes in first takes 3 items and the monetary pot, the person in 2nd takes the remaining item. Should a fight break out, use the following stats: * Rufang - Orc War Chief * Constance - Warlock of the Fiend * Bouncers - Marut